Practicing Excellence

By: Stephen Beeson, MD

So much of a medical organization’s success rides on the leadership, conduct and performance of its physicians. How does a healthcare organization engage its physicians to lead by example? And how does a physician—in the midst of 25 appointments, 30 phone messages, hospital rounds, and the details of "managing" a clinical practice—do what needs to be done to foster satisfaction and loyalty among patients? Practicing Excellence eloquently answers these questions.

Stephen C. Beeson, MD, has created a brilliant guide to implementing physician leadership and behaviors that will create a high performance workplace built on collaboration, commitment, purpose, and making a difference in the lives of the patients it serves. This book addresses:

Why hardwiring a Culture of Excellence into your organization is so critical

Why physician engagement and leadership is fundamental to organizational improvement

How to create physician "buy in" to system wide organizational change

How to select, train and position a physician champion to lead a commitment to excellence

How to create collaboration, trust, partnership, and loyalty with patients through trained physician behaviors

How to use measurement of patient satisfaction to improve and incentivize physician performance

How to execute effective service recovery with dissatisfied patients

How to manage difficult clinical patient situations

How to select physicians for your group that match your medical group’s culture

How to improve physician satisfaction through an organizational journey to excellence

Throughout this inspiring and enlightening book, Beeson constantly reminds us why and how physicians—and indeed, healthcare organizations themselves—change and establish a reputation for being the best. "Change will occur when the best day we have is the one that is measured by the unmistakable fulfillment that comes to us from patients through our provision of kindness and compassion," writes Beeson. "Sustained change happens when physicians realize that we can cure sometimes, but we can make a difference with every patient, every time." When physicians, healthcare leaders and everyone caring for patients embraces these values, and change is fueled by the passion to make a difference, the prospect for the Culture of Excellence within any organization becomes possible.